Apple and Samsung have reportedly resumed settlement negotiations over their ongoing patent-infringement dispute, according to The Korea Times. A source from the Korean Fair Trade Commission (FTC) told the newspaper that the two companies are in "working level discussion" about a potential deal, adding that Apple and Samsung are attempting to narrow differences over royalty payments.
Samsung still prefers to sign a comprehensive “cross-licensing” deal, allowing the world’s biggest smartphone manufacturer to access all Apple’s design-related, some standard-essential and commercial patents; while Apple is asking Samsung to pay over $30 per device for Samsung’s patent violations, which Samsung thinks is “too much,” said another Samsung official who is familiar with the issue.
The report also states that Samsung Mobile CEO Shin Jong-Kyun may fly to the United States to discuss patent issues with Apple CEO Tim Cook early next year. Last year, Cook met with Samsung CEO Choi Gee-Sung to discuss the subject, however, those talks reportedly failed because Samsung would not accept Apple's demand for patent royalties. Both companies also met face-to-face in Seoul earlier this year, but there was said to be "no indication" of an imminent agreement as the discussions failed to progress.
Apple and Samsung have been in a long, ongoing legal battle that started in 2011, with the first U.S. trial awarding $1 billion to Apple in 2012. However, a judge voided nearly half of that amount in March, with a jury in the damages retrial last month ruling that Samsung is to pay Apple $290 million for willfully violating multiple patents. A second infringement lawsuit between the two companies will also be held on March 31, 2014, with a separate injunction trial centering around Apple's call for a U.S. ban on Samsung products potentially preceding it.
Top Rated Comments
Samsung doesn't make any Apple devices, unless you count the ones they've blatantly copied. They make components that go into Apple devices. They make a tremendous amount of money producing and selling those components, and would not stop doing so unless they had to.
And Apple has been diversifying their supplier base, giving fewer contracts to Samsung for manufacturing components.
Finally, Samsung doesn't hold much in the way of legal cards. They are getting their butts kicked in every court these days, including in Korea. That's why they're at the table. Cook doesn't like the litigation, and he'll talk to Samsung all day long if they bring reasonable royalty payment concessions with them.
A: No, you hang up! :p
S: No, you hang up!! :D
A: NO YOU HANG UP. :mad:
Really.. So Apple should bite the bullet and let Samsung rip off whatever they desire just because Apple's business relies heavily on Samsung hardware? So what if in the future Apple no longer needs Samsung and sues the hell out of them, who's side would you be on then? Large companies do not handle relationships the way small ones do, they could be having the largest legal battles in court and yet sleep in the same bed together every night, it's all about the money in the end and they both need each other.
Apple already got what it wanted though, Samsung has been marked with the stamp of shame, despite Samsung's superiority when it comes to other products but as far as Smartphone business goes, it's almost a standard now for everyone (or most people) to think that a lot of the features are a rip off and that's one major victory for Apple that will live on for a very long time.
This is why I know not to take you seriously...
----------
Exactly and just like every other article on that terrible site. They can't write or report anything without having a dig at another brand. All articles are so Apple biased they aren't credible.
The forums are littered with psychotics and quite a few racists that go unchecked. I've seen your posts on there and also the typical responses you get. Surprised you haven't been banned for having common sense.
Just the display and SOCs. As if these are nothing more than small, inconsequential bits and pieces of an iPhone.
And there's no used to, Samsung still produces the vast majority of these parts for Apple.